I just played my natural game and that worked fine for me as well as the team — Rajpal Singh
RAJPAL SINGH, the citybased hockey player, played a crucial role in helping India make a podium finish in the Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament and break what was becoming a too long string of painful defeats. His performance becomes all the more praiseworthy as he wasn't even in the scheme of things for the tournament at the outset. He wasn't shortlisted for the camp initially and was drafted in later, allegedly at the insistence of the new coach.
So did that provoke him to prove a point or put him under some pressure? "I wasn't under any pressure… I just played my natural game and that worked fine for me as well as my team," he said.
The fleet footed forward is one of the few players who has escaped the chop and change policy of the IHF after every tournament and is now a veteran of 85 matches.
He has played with the combination of Gagan Ajit Singh, Deepak Thakur and Prabhjot Singh and looked equally as ease with that of youngsters like Shivender Singh, Gurbaaz and Roshan Minz in the Azlan Shah Tournament.
"I have played with most of the players in domestic circuit and we know each other's game pretty well. But it was still a wonderful experience to play for the country with them," he said. When asked to spell the reason behind the team's reasonable success, he didn't think twice before putting a finger on team spirit. "Success comes more easily when team plays as a unit and individuals play for team rather than for themselves. An individual may perform bril liantly but it wouldn't , count for much if the team fails. So one is successful only when the team succeeds," he said.
As for his personal goals, the gifted forward is determined to work harder on his strength and endurance so that he can make the most of his skills. "I am working really hard on improving my strength and endurance. You have to be very strong if you want to play hockey at the top," he said.
"I have been in the squad for sometime now and just want to carry on with that for as long as possible," he said.
So did that provoke him to prove a point or put him under some pressure? "I wasn't under any pressure… I just played my natural game and that worked fine for me as well as my team," he said.
The fleet footed forward is one of the few players who has escaped the chop and change policy of the IHF after every tournament and is now a veteran of 85 matches.
He has played with the combination of Gagan Ajit Singh, Deepak Thakur and Prabhjot Singh and looked equally as ease with that of youngsters like Shivender Singh, Gurbaaz and Roshan Minz in the Azlan Shah Tournament.
"I have played with most of the players in domestic circuit and we know each other's game pretty well. But it was still a wonderful experience to play for the country with them," he said. When asked to spell the reason behind the team's reasonable success, he didn't think twice before putting a finger on team spirit. "Success comes more easily when team plays as a unit and individuals play for team rather than for themselves. An individual may perform bril liantly but it wouldn't , count for much if the team fails. So one is successful only when the team succeeds," he said.
As for his personal goals, the gifted forward is determined to work harder on his strength and endurance so that he can make the most of his skills. "I am working really hard on improving my strength and endurance. You have to be very strong if you want to play hockey at the top," he said.
"I have been in the squad for sometime now and just want to carry on with that for as long as possible," he said.
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